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Crepes are easy, quick to make, and very versatile. Making a crepe is like making a pancake with two differences:
- When you scoop (use a ladle) the batter into the hot pan and swirl it so that the batter covers the bottom of the pan.
- The crepe is soft so it doesn’t turn like a pancake; it’s kind of drape and roll operation. A couple of them and you’ll get the hang of it.
Vanilla Custard Crepes
A silky, smooth vanilla custard makes a wonderful filling for crepes. In this case, we made raspberry crepes but you can substitute strawberries or blueberries. We have a picture here of a crepe with fresh pineapple. If it’s peach season, make crepes with fresh peaches. We made a raspberry sauce to drizzle over the crepes.
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Get the mix to make these dessert crepes and a spatula to turn them. This is a $10.98 value.
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For the crepes
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups milk
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon vegetable oil 1 pinch salt
- Sift the flour into a medium bowl. Make a well in the center.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, sugar, vegetable oil, and salt. Add to the flour and whip to a smooth batter. Refrigerate the batter for two hours.
- Heat a nine-inch crepe pan on medium high heat. Brush with butter.
- Measure batter into the hot pan. Immediately tilt and rotate the pan so that the batter covers the bottom of the pan in a thin layer.
- Cook until bubbles appear and the bottom of the crepe is a nice even, golden brown.
- Use a pallet knife or thin, sturdy spatula to turn the crepe. Cook the second side only it is a blonde color, not as dark as the first side.
- Remove the crepe to a sheet of parchment paper or waxed paper and repeat with the rest of the batter.
For the custard
1 cup milk
1 cup whipping cream
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
5 large egg yolks
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
- To scald, bring the milk and cream mixture to just below a simmer. Do not boil. Set aside.
- Mix the cinnamon, egg yolks, sugar, and salt together. Immediately drizzle in the hot milk mixture while whisking constantly. (This tempers the eggs.)
- Place the milk mixture back on low heat and stir in the tempered egg mixture. A silicone or high heat spatula is best for stirring so that you can scrape the egg mixture from the bottom of the pan.
- Continue stirring and cooking until the temperature reaches 170 degrees. Do not overcook. Remove from the heat and set in a sink of cold water. Stir several times to assure that the custard cools evenly.
- Pour the hot custard through a strainer to ensure a smooth custard. Cover with plastic, pressing the plastic tight against the custard, and refrigerate until chilled.
For the raspberry sauce
You can make raspberry sauce in one of two ways: Mix a handful of fresh or frozen raspberries into warmed raspberry syrup. Or follow this recipe:
1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 cup water
1 cup individually frozen raspberries
- Combine the sugar and cornstarch in a medium saucepan. Gradually add the water, stirring with a whisk. Continue stirring until the sugar dissolves.
- Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring regularly. You should have a thick sugar syrup. Add the raspberries.
To assemble your crepes
- Fill your crepes, folding as desired, with the vanilla custard.
- Spoon raspberry sauce on the crepes.
- Top with whipped cream.
About the Author
Dennis Weaver has burned food from Point Barrow, Alaska, to Miami, Florida. He is the founder of The Prepared Pantry in Rigby, Idaho and the author of How to Bake: The Art and Science of Baking available as an E-book or as a Kindle book on Amazon.
Dennis lives in Rigby, Idaho, with his wife, Merri Ann. They have five wonderful children and five beautiful granddaughters.